Crossroads
by Experimental Madness
Summary: When he died, Guy expected to be damned forever. What he didn't expect was to see her again. A brief Guy/Meg post s3ep13 one-shot. Because no one deserves a happy ending more than Guy.


**A part of me didn't even want to write this. Actually, I didn't think I'd be able to write anything again for a while, but then I thought that was just a lame excuse for dramatic angst; and the best thing I could possibly do was continue writing. So I had to write this in order to let it go. Sounds a bit pathetic to say you're grieving over the death of a fictional character, but there you have it. This is just my way of giving Guy a happy ending...

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Crossroads

He had been willing to die. There had been times when he had wondered if he hadn't already. It seemed the world; however, was not yet ready to release him from the torment of his mortal life. At every turn he had been deterred from what he thought should have been his rightful punishment. Living, proved to be a greater punishment and so he he had begun to think that this was the hell God had always wanted to condemn him to: a life without her. Without Marian there was no life.

What he had not been expecting was a chance to live. He had given up on redemption. He had gone past any point of forgiveness. Yet he had found himself forced upon the path of a hero, and alongside the man he had, for years, knew to be his enemy. He was condemned. He was damned. He should have, long ago, forgotten how to seek salvation, but the urge to fight had seemingly never truly left him.

He died fighting for Robin Hood. For justice. For King Richard. Against tyranny, against the Sheriff, against his own sister. Against everything he had believed while he had lived. It wouldn't be enough. The people would forever know him as their oppressor, the tyrant, the villain, but what did that matter now? He was free, finally, truly, and blissfully free. He spent the last months of his life fighting for the right, fighting for something he knew Marian would have been proud of. He was content to suffer any eternal punishment in any afterlife that awaited him.

He awoke with a start. The breath in his lungs heaved out in a short gasp. He found himself staring up at a cloudy sky and tree branches with golden red leaves. He remained upon the forest floor, watching a few of the leaves break off from their branches to drift lazily down to the ground. He should be dead. No; he knew he was dead. He focused on breathing steadily for a few moments as he placed a hand over his chest. No blood. Slowly he rose to his feet, turning about in a circle, taking in his new surroundings. Was this Heaven or Hell? It felt like neither. It was not altogether unpleasant, certainly better than the underground caverns of the Castle. He walked on unsteady legs for a few paces. He was entirely alone.

It wasn't the solitude which disturbed him. He had expected no less. The silence; however, was deafening. He could not even hear the crunch of the leaves under his boot heels. Was this his reward? Was Hell just a lonely, silent road he would be forced to walk upon for eternity. No fire. No Satan. No endless agony of torture, or perhaps this silent loneliness would prove torturous enough. He walked onward.

The crossroads caught him by surprise. The gray clouds seemed to part down the path to his right. The tree were a brilliant green and, much to his increasing wonderment he could hear wind rustling through the summer colored leaves. It was warm, and bright and he could see clear down the path as it wound its way about the corner of a river.

It was the chilling howl to his left which caused him to turn to the other path. A cold wind brushed past him. He shivered as ice flooded into his veins. There were no leaves upon the dead and brittle branches of the winter trees. The path was clouded with fog, but he could see the beady eyes of wolves winding their way about the trunks of the trees.

What madness was this? Summer to his right and a chilling winter to his left? Was he supposed to choose which way to go? He could not go straight. A great and towering oak blocked his way, he would have to set foot upon one of the paths even if he met to skirt about the great trunk of the ancient tree. He could not move. There was emptiness at every turn. The summer forest, while bright and teaming with life was still just as empty as the winter woods beside him. Where was the difference. Should one prove safer? He was already dead what care did he have for his continued safety? Should one prove more peaceful? What peace was afforded to one who had nothing and no one to provide such contentment. He stood rooted to the spot, almost in defiance of the great oak before him. He could stand here waiting to chose his path for an eternity; or was eternity already passing him?

"Guy!"

The joyful cry of his name echoed about the forest. He winced. The shout where there had been only silence moments before was deafening. He tried to spy the source of the cry. A figure appeared racing down the summer forest path. A smile spreading across a familiar face.

"Meg!" Guy answered back.

The girl ran towards him, not stopping before, but rather meeting him with arms open wide. She threw herself upon him. Guy had no choice but to catch her up in an embrace. She laughed as she held him tightly. "I knew it was you! I just knew it!"

Guy placed the laughing girl back down upon the ground. She grabbed his hand, leaving him no room for questions. "Well, come on then! You know it's thanks to you I stayed here. I haven't even set foot past that stretch of river, but you're here now. Let's go!"

"Go?" He would not budge.

"Yes, of course, down the path. Lots to see, I'm sure...be rather boring if there wasn't." Her face crinkled in a ringing laugh.

He understood now. Why else would Meg appear to him, her face glowing bright and her hair tinged with a golden glow from a summer sun's rays. She was an angel. He had always known she was an angel even before she had died, but now it was true. He pulled his hand out of her grasp, shaking his head. "No."

"What do you mean no?" Had she heard him right?

"I can't."

"Are you telling me that you don't want to come with me? Oh that's a fine thing to say to the woman who died saving your miserable life." Meg crossed her arms, fixing him with what she must have thought was an intimidating stare.

"I suppose you think I deserve this then." Guy retorted, that girl always managed to rouse his annoyance, "After everything I've done."

"So you'd rather go wandering through those woods then?" She gestured towards the winter path at his left side. "Cold, dark and lonely? Don't be so dramatic, Guy. Fine waste of an eternity you proved to be. After I waited and everything."

"You waited...for me?"

"Of course I did you great idiot! You don't think I would spend my time sitting on the crossroads between Heaven and Hell for just any fool?" Meg sighed although she smiled at the sight of the genuine astonishment upon Guy's face. She had caused him to think, even for a moment.

He stared off down the winter path. A wolf appeared through the fog. His eyes were red and he watched him intently. His jaws curled back in a snarl. It was as if he expected Guy to follow him into the icy hell which awaited him. He looked back at Meg, the glow fading from about her as she watched him anxiously. He didn't deserve her. He never had. He took her hand in his. "I never had the chance to thank you for what you did for me."

"Save it." She snapped, "The only thanks I want is for you to come with me. That'll do."

Stubborn little thing. She always had been. Even when he had told her to forget him, to go and live her life she had sacrificed herself for him. She hadn't been able to let him die and now she wouldn't let him go to his just punishment.

Meg could see she was getting nowhere with him. She looped her arm about his. "Fine. If you're hell bound then I'm going with you. One path is as good as another for me."

"No!" He wouldn't be responsible for dragging this angel into Hell with him. "Meg, why can't you just let me go?"

"Because if I do that then--because I'll be....I have no one." She fumbled for the words. He pride nearly prevented her confession, but now was no the time for pride or for secrets.

"That can't be true." Guy's gaze softened. "You..."

"...are just as lonely as you." She smiled sadly at him. "You were--are, the only friend I had and have." This managed to still any further excuses Guy was going to provide. "You want to walk into Hell, fine, better to go into Hell together then to go back into Heaven alone."

"You were never one for leaving things be." He smirked at her.

"Only when it comes to you." She was smiling again, "Did say that I always liked you."

"Never really believed that." He said wryly. Both seemed to be oblivious to the fact that they were holding the other's hand. "You liked me even when I was--how did you describe me? The black man on his black horse?"

She giggled, "_Especially_ then. Guy I--" She paused, feeling herself going too far.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Meg, if you want to spend an eternity with me whatever secrets you are keeping I will eventually find out."

He was a demon, Meg decided as she stared sheepishly up at him, but he was right. She should tell him now. She never had time to in life. For an instant before the soldier had stabbed her with the spear she thought she would have time to confess her growing feelings towards him. She thought that they would run away from Nottingham; away from England, and they would have time. "You promise not to laugh at me?"

"I'm intrigued, but if it helps then fine," He sighed, "I promise."

"I might...I think that I...I love you, Guy." It was a barely audible confession, but Guy heard it.

"Meg..." Laughter was the farthest response from his mind.

"I know you don't love me." She said quickly, "But...but you think you might try...just a little? You have an eternity....I don't--"

She found herself swept up in an embrace. "Stupid girl." He said.

"I'm not stupid!" She protested, but there was laughter in her voice.

"You are. You say you love me and expect me to laugh over it. If you knew me, you would never have assumed such a thing."

"Will you give me the chance to know you better then?" Meg asked hopefully.

"I will." He said and Meg wasted no time in raising herself up onto the tips of her feet and kissing his cheek.

"Well then, where shall we go?" She asked.

"I believe you said you wanted to see what was beyond that river." He nodded towards the summer path.

She beamed at him. The glow flooding back into her features. "Then lets go!"

They stepped onto the path together. Guy looked back down the winter path, which was now behind him. The wolf was still watching him. He dipped his head as if to concede that this battle was lost. He turned and padded away down the winter path. Soon the crossroad was far behind him. What lay ahead was unknown.

"Guy?"

He turned to look at his eternal companion. Meg was smiling shyly up at him. "Might I hold your hand awhile?"

He smiled at her. It was a smile seldom seen by any when he was alive. He offered her his hand without hesitation. Awhile might be forever and he wouldn't mind. He wasn't alone and he never would be ever again and neither would she. "I'd like that." He replied, and they walked on.

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**A/N: What was Guy thinking? OF COURSE someone was going to be waiting for him. It was always going to be Meg! I've got to laugh about that, becaue if I don't attempt to I'll cry again and the sobbing mess I'm rapidly becoming is beginning to try my patience. Yes. It's been a week. Yes, I'm back from vacation. Yes I'm an unholy mess over the death of Guy. I'm not about to curl up into a ball and sob in a corner forever about it...that doesn't mean I can't sob now. **


End file.
